The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1887-11-03

lation. If a party was organized for
that purpose, the party would ole
when that purpose was accomplished.
Under our system of government, we
should not resort to a new political
movement to carry out every reform
necessary. We have the two great
principles and conceptions OF the
genius of our institutions as contended
for by John Adams and Thomas JEFF
~ferson, as a basis for a division into
two great political parties, that should
suffice; let every one carry his ideas
of reform to the party to which he be-
longs from principle. And as the ag-
riculturists comprise a large ma jority
of all the voters, he will necessarily
comprise a majority in each party.
But his greatest influence in politics
can be brought to bear, not at the
hustings, but in the halls of legislation,
by the proper and judicious exercise
of the right Of petition. There they
step forward as Alliance men strong
and united, and demand that the gov
eminent redress wrongs committed
by it, but in partisan politics, the
members of our order should partici-
pate, not as Alliance men, but as citi-
zens; because politics is for the citi-
zens. Let the Alliance be a business
organization for business purposes, and
as such necessarily secret, and as
secret necessarily strictly non-political.
This is somewhat of a depression but
is made in order to show the ideas
that were entertained at the time this
National Association was launched
forth on the sea of experiment as a
business organization of the farmers
of the cotton belt. The plan on which
organization has been effected is to
some extent new, and while it perhaps
contains nothing original, it is expert
mental, in that it combines the features
of several different systems. Being a
secret organization, it is necessarily to
some extent like the father of all
secret organizations, monarchical in
form; but being a chartered a~ssocia-
ton, under the law of our country for
business purposes, and being composed
of a people who.are familiar with, and
devoted to a republican form of gov
eminent, it's written law is in conform
ity to hat system. You will there
fore find in the construction of a code
Of statutory law that you must pro-
vide for a membership who occupy a
quail relation to the order, that is, the
constitution is the written organic
law, and outlines a republican form of
government. The secret work is the
unwritten organic law, and is co-ordi-
nate with the written, and outlines a
limited monarchy. By keeping these
ideas in view, you will avoid confusion,
and will find questions of law much
easier of solution.
1t is a great pleasure to be able to
congratulate you on the rapid extern
ton of the work under the plan out
lined. There are nov State organiza-
tons in States, and in many States
the work is progressing in a very salts
factory manner, as the report of the
secretary will show. The plan of
organization seems to meet the neces-
sites, with perhaps a few modiica-
tions. There appears to be no promi-
nent defects in the plan as a National
enterprise, and Is complete jurisdic-
ton is surrendered to the State ALI
ances when organized, it rests with
them to make laws to meet local con
ditions. There is a feature of the
Alliance that is very important, and
has always been a part of the unwrit-
ten work, that it might perhaps be
well to introduce some laws and regu-
lations in the written work, in order
that it may be more universally un-
derstood. That is the trade system,
and the cooperative efforts being
made to act in harmony in the sale Of
products and purchase of commodities.
On the success Of this feature much Of
the prosperity of the order depends !;
hence some general laws and recon-
mendations should be in print, in plain
and easy-to-be-understood language, so
that all may understand, and tend to-
wards n and the same object. Much
might be said as to the future of this
great movement, and still it is all ex-
pressed in the single sentence, "There
is no limit to the possibilities" How
ever, [ call your attention to the fact
that our people, owing to money pres
sure, and the fact that cotton is u
great money crop, are disposed to rely
too much on it, and purchase many